1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for dispensing a frozen product, and more particularly, for an apparatus and method using a product container having a control valve that dispenses the frozen product in a desired shape at a uniform rate and quantity.
2. Statement of the Problem
A wide variety of dispensing systems are used to dispense frozen product (such as, ice cream and/or frozen yogurt). In one conventional configuration, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,355, the frozen product is housed within a product container, typically a cardboard container having a cylindrical shape. A drive motor or source of high pressure air moves a piston to apply a drive force. The force causes the piston to directly contact a portion of the container (i.e., a lid) or the frozen product itself such that frozen product is pushed through the container and out a spout in the dispensing system. In another conventional configuration, the dispensing system uses a deformable container that contains the frozen product. The deformable container also includes a spout, and the deformable container can have an "accordion-like" structure (as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,336) or a flexible bag structure (as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,878, 5,265,764 and 5,421,484). In this configuration, the drive force causes the piston to directly contact the deformable container to extrude the frozen product from the spout. In yet another conventional configuration, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,464, the dispensing system uses a product container to house the frozen product. An automated system is used to scoop and dispense the frozen product from the container. In all of these conventional systems, the frozen product is not dispensed at a uniform rate primarily due to the formulation and temperature of the frozen product that is dispensed. Hence, the frozen product is dispensed at varying rates and, as such it is difficult for an operator of the dispensing system to easily dispense a specifically desired amount of the frozen product. Therefore, a need exists to provide a system that dispenses frozen product at a uniform rate regardless of the formulation.
Further, since these conventional systems do not dispense the frozen product at a uniform rate, the dispensing of a specific portion is difficult. The portion control is difficult because the flow rate typically varies according to the formulation, viscosity, temperature, quality and the consistency of the frozen product. In addition, adding to this difficulty is the compressibility of the frozen product which can be up to about 50% air by volume. In most conventional dispensing systems, there is no portion control. The portion is dispensed by an operator using eyesight control, and the operator of the system cannot consistently gauge the amount of frozen product being dispensed from the system over any given time because the formulation and the temperature of the frozen product periodically change. Therefore, the operator can easily dispense a larger or smaller amount of the frozen product than is desired by the customer. Dispensing a higher amount affects profitability of the system, and dispensing a lower amount causes customer dissatisfaction. Requiring the operator to weigh the frozen product that has been dispensed is not practical in the fast food environment. Such weighing of the frozen product is expensive especially in a high volume commercial operation. Further, while weighing protects the customer from receiving a shortage, it does not protect the operator when too much is dispensed. In addition, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,120, some conventional systems that offer portion control include a metering chamber that is the size of the desired portion and is attached to the spout of the container. The frozen product is extruded into the metering chamber and once the metering chamber is filled, the frozen product is dispensed to the customer. In these systems, the metering chamber must be cleaned and sanitized especially when a different flavor is inserted into the dispensing system. Further, the size of the dispensed portion is dependent upon the size of the metering chamber, and therefore, variable sized portions cannot be dispensed from the dispensing system. As such, a need exists for a system that reliably dispenses a portion that has been purchased by the customer or allows an operator to easily gauge the amount of frozen product that has been dispensed, and such a system should dispense the frozen product at a uniform rate regardless of the formulation of the frozen product and without using additional metering chambers.
Some conventional frozen product dispensing systems, such as the cardboard and deformable container configurations, use a rigid cylindrical support (such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,878, 5,265,764 and 5,421,484). The forces required to extrude frozen product are large and the sidewalls of such containers are not strong enough to withstand such forces. The cylindrical support provides significant sidewall support during dispensing the frozen product. In these embodiments, the cardboard or flexible container is positioned within the cylindrical support. A piston slidably engages the cylindrical support container and the drive force provided by the motor drive or high pressure air source forces the piston to extrude the frozen product from the container. The use of such a support is expensive and a need exists to eliminate the use of such a support by providing a frozen product container having sufficient sidewall strength to withstand the drive forces.
When the frozen product container is housed within the cylindrical support, it is difficult to determine when the frozen product container is empty. As such, there are times when the frozen product container is replaced before it is empty of frozen product, and thus, frozen product is wasted. Therefore, a need exists for a system that detects when a product container is empty.
In some conventional frozen product dispensing systems, caps and valves are connected to the spout on the frozen product container to perform particular tasks. For example, a stopper cap is connected to the spout after the container is filled with product during a fill procedure. The stopper cap seals the product in the container after the filling procedure and during freezing and transportation of the container. When the container is loaded into a dispensing system, the stopper cap is removed from the spout and discarded. A dispensing valve is then attached to the spout. The dispensing valve allows frozen product to be dispensed from the spout when force is applied to the container by the plunger. Typically, the dispensing valve is an integral part of the dispensing system and is used for each container that is placed in the dispensing system. This use of the dispensing valve presents sanitary problems if the dispensing valve is not properly cleaned when new frozen product containers are added. Further, when the frozen product contains chunks of fruit, nuts, chocolate or other ingredients, the dispensing valve can become clogged. As a result, the dispensing spout is frequently removed and cleaned adding to the costs of the dispensing operation. Thus, a need exists for a single valve as part of the frozen product container that seals the container after filling, dispenses the frozen product, and is thrown away with the empty container.
Therefore, a need exists for a frozen product dispensing system that dispenses the frozen product at a uniform rate regardless of the formulation of the frozen product. A need exists for a dispensing system that can dispense a specified portion purchased by a customer. In addition, a need exists for a frozen product container that has sufficient sidewalls strength to withstand forces required to extrude the frozen product from the dispensing system. A need also exists for a container that is collapsible after use to minimize the volume of refuse. Further, a need exits for a dispensing system that detects when the frozen product container is empty. Also, a need exists for a single dispensing valve that is installed to seal the container after filling and is also used as the dispensing spout during dispensing the frozen product. In addition, a need exists for a single dispensing valve that eliminates costs associated with disassembly and sanitation.